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2 Corinthians 3
Disciples’ Literal New Testament

You Yourselves Are Proof To Everyone That God Is Working Through Us

3 Are we[a] beginning to commend ourselves again? Or we do not have-need of letters of recommendation[b] to you or from you, like some, do we? 2 You are our letter— it having been inscribed in our hearts, it being known and being read by all people, 3 you being made-known[c] that you are a letter from[d] Christ having been served by us, having been inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tablets made-of-stone but in tablets[e] which are hearts made-of-flesh.

It Is God Who Makes Us Sufficient As Ministers of His New Covenant

4 And we have such[f] a confidence through Christ toward God— 5 not that we are sufficient[g] from ourselves to count anything as out of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 Who indeed made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives-life.

And This Ministry Is More Glorious Than That of The Old Covenant

7 And if the ministry of death having been engraved in letters on stones came in glory (so that the sons of Israel could not look-intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face[h]— the glory passing-away), 8 how shall the ministry of the Spirit not be more in glory! 9 For if in the ministry of condemnation there was glory, by much more the ministry of righteousness is abounding in glory. 10 For indeed the [ministry of the letter][i] having been glorified has not[j] been glorified in this respect— because of the surpassing glory! 11 For if the [ministry of the letter] passing-away was with glory, by much more the [ministry of the Spirit] remaining is in glory.

We Don’t Veil The Glory Like Moses. We Reflect It And Are Transformed By It

12 Therefore, having such a hope, we are using great boldness, 13 and are not like Moses. He was putting a veil on his face so that the sons of Israel might not look-intently at the end[k] of the [face of glory][l] passing-away. 14 But[m] their minds were hardened[n], for until this very day the same[o] veil remains on the reading of the old covenant— it not being unveiled because[p] it passes-away[q] in Christ. 15 Indeed[r], until today whenever Moses is being read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 But whenever it[s] turns to the Lord, the veil is taken-away. 17 Now the Lord[t] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! 18 But[u] we all with a face having been unveiled, while reflecting[v] the glory of the Lord as a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from glory[w] to glory, just-as[x] from the Lord[y], the Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 3:1 Paul pauses to answer a false conclusion that could be drawn from 2:14-17.
  2. 2 Corinthians 3:1 That is, to prove we are authorized representatives of God.
  3. 2 Corinthians 3:3 That is, through the letter recorded on your hearts.
  4. 2 Corinthians 3:3 That is, from Christ to others; or, about Christ.
  5. 2 Corinthians 3:3 in tablets... flesh. Or, in tablets made-of-flesh— in hearts.
  6. 2 Corinthians 3:4 That is, such as described in 2:14-3:3.
  7. 2 Corinthians 3:5 Or, adequate, worthy, competent.
  8. 2 Corinthians 3:7 God made the face of Moses shine temporarily, Ex 34:29-30.
  9. 2 Corinthians 3:10 Lit, the thing. Paul leaves it to the reader to supply the reference from the context. Likewise three more times below.
  10. 2 Corinthians 3:10 That is, the ministry glorified in the face of Moses and other ways pales by comparison to the surpassing glory now.
  11. 2 Corinthians 3:13 Or, cessation, termination, finish, goal.
  12. 2 Corinthians 3:13 For Paul, the fading glory on Moses’ face symbolized the temporary nature of that covenant. Others supply [ministry of the letter].
  13. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Paul makes an application from Moses to Israel.
  14. 2 Corinthians 3:14 That is, to the spiritual meaning of the fading glory, and thus to the true intent of the old covenant.
  15. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Like the one on Moses, it hides the fading glory.
  16. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Or, that; it not being unveiled (revealed) to them that it (the old covenant) passes away in Christ.
  17. 2 Corinthians 3:14 Or, is done-away.
  18. 2 Corinthians 3:15 Paul clarifies that the veil is not on the Law, but on their hearts.
  19. 2 Corinthians 3:16 That is, such a veiled heart (v 15) or hardened mind (v 14); or, a person, a Jew. Or, he (Moses), as the type of one turning to the Lord, Ex 34:34. As with Moses physically then, so today spiritually.
  20. 2 Corinthians 3:17 That is, the Lord in Moses’ case (v 16) is the Spirit today; or, the Lord (Christ) is the OT ‘Spirit of the Lord’ in our experience of God today.
  21. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Now Paul makes an application from Moses to us, completing what he began in v 13. We are not like Moses who veiled his face... But we all are being transformed.
  22. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or, looking at. Moses did both.
  23. 2 Corinthians 3:18 That is, from glory to more glory (not fading); or, from His glory to our glory.
  24. 2 Corinthians 3:18 That is, just as would be expected.
  25. 2 Corinthians 3:18 That is, the Lord who is the Spirit; or, the Spirit who is the Lord; or, the Lord of the Spirit (that is, who sends the Spirit).
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2 Corinthians 2
2 Corinthians 4
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Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing

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